Discovering a new part of me in the world

by Victor Augusto Romão (Brazil)

Making a local connection Egypt

On 30th December 2019, I started in Brazil a 36-hour journey that would take me to Egypt, a country that connects northeast Africa to the Middle East, which has been part of my imagination since childhood and where I would live for the next 30 days. What took me to this place that breathes history, the cradle of civilization, was the opportunity to observe, during my stay, the pathology department of a public hospital, as a medical student, an unconventional trip. It would be my first experience alone so far from home, about 10,000km away from my country. I knew that I would live unique, challenging and enriching experiences. When I arrived at the airport, I asked myself: “Why am I here?”. The culture differs a lot from Western culture. The alphabet, the language, the clothes, the customs. I didn’t identify myself with anything, but it struck me that there are such diverse cultures in places separated by just 13 hours by plane. In Cairo, the capital of Egypt, I imagined all the time how the city was like in Pharaonic times. The feeling of walking down the street observing the Nile River, which I heard a lot about as a child and adolescent in the studies of Egyptian civilization, and watching the sunset on its bank is indescribable. The Egyptian museum has a collection of 120,000 pieces, for which an appreciable amount of time should be reserved if you want to appreciate mummies, sarcophagi, sculptures, and many other articles from all eras of Egyptian history. On the first day of the trip, the museum had already made everything worthwhile. It was still early in the journey, and everything was surprising. It took just 2 days for me to get used to the chaotic traffic in Cairo, the hijabs that are worn by women, the sound of the Arabic language and also some customs of religion, such as the calling on the speakers of the five daily prayers performed by Muslims. On the second day in Cairo, getting to know the pyramids of Giza was, I would say, exciting. I confess I shivered the moment I saw it and when I imagined how life was like there thousands of years ago. I was even more surprised to visit the pyramids of Saqqara and Dashur, pyramids less affected by modern civilization, isolated from the city and with fewer tourists. On the third day of the trip, it was time to leave for where I did my internship: a non-touristy city called Shibin El Kom, in Menoufia, where I would experience a cultural immersion. It was in Shibin El Kom that I had my first experience at a hospital outside my country, the University Hospital of Menoufia, which, like the entire trip, presented me with unique experiences. In Menoufia I made friends and I could immerse myself in Egyptian culture. I tried to understand the religious aspects, the cuisine, the people... I could have lengthy conversations with the natives and understand their reality, besides always experiencing Egyptian hospitality. Yes, the Egyptians are very friendly and kind, and they want to please you all the time. In Egypt, the shops work until late, and most of the time I went out to dinner at a time that I would normally be asleep. Everyone smokes everywhere, without exceptions and the Egyptian delay, different from the British punctuality, is known throughout the country. Egypt is marked as one of my favorite places in the world. That’s where I made an inexplicable connection. Where I made Brazilian, Peruvian, Mexican, Mozambican, Iraqi, Ukrainian and especially Egyptian friends. It was where I realized the dream of knowing the cradle of civilization up close. Where I had the opportunity to experience a culture so different from mine. This whole experience ended on 1st January 2020, when I arrived back in Brazil as a different person, renewed, more open to experiences, more tolerant and happier.